PRAYAGRAJ, Sept. 14 -- Vigyan Shri Awardee and NSUT Professor Bhim Singh on Sunday urged alumni of the Indian Institute of Information Technology-Allahabad (IIIT-A) to mentor students in emerging fields like artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), while supporting research, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation. Speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day Annual Global Alumni Meet-2026 at the Jhalwa campus, Singh, the chief guest, encouraged former students to share their professional experiences and contribute to building a culture of innovation to help elevate IIIT-A among the country's top institutions. IIIT-A Director Prof Mukul Sharad Sutaone described the meet as a "homecoming" and highlighted the institute's achievements over its 26-year journey. He cited a top placement package of Rs.1.58 crore secured by four students, curriculum alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP), expansion of master's and dual-degree programmes, and strengthened industry ties with IBM. He added that 723 students recently graduated and stressed building a long-term partnership with alumni. Guest of honour Prof J Ramkumar of IIT-Kanpur urged alumni to contribute through "Time, Talent, Treasure, and Testimony," including seed funding, founder internships, and mentoring. Bharat Gite, CEO of Taural India, joined virtually to advocate expanding the global alumni network. Dean of Alumni Affairs Prof Anupam Agarwal noted that the Alumni Association has grown from two to over 6,000 members globally. He added that alumni are evaluating student project exhibitions and startup demonstrations. Other speakers included Ansuman Patro of Toomoki Health, Saumitra Baleshwar Govil of Deloitte Consulting, Shitala Prasad of IIT-Goa, and Ramesh Ragala of IMD, who shared insights on physical AI, cybersecurity, and research collaborations. The day concluded with a cultural performance by Saroj Dhingra and a National Poet Meet featuring Vishnu Saxena, Sabeena, Anil Agrawanhi, Upendra Pandey, and Shailendra Madhur....